Transaction cards, such as credit and debit cards, have increasingly become a primary means for customers to complete financial transactions. Typically, transaction cards are cut from laminated sheets of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polycarbonate (PC), or other similar materials. After the overall shape of the card is formed, the card may be modified to add functional and/or visual features. For example, a magnetic strip and/or microchip may be affixed to one side, the card may be stamped with the card number and customer name, and color or a design may be added for appearance.
In addition, as transaction cards increase in prevalence, expectations for transaction card quality have increased. Transaction cards have increasingly been made to meet higher standards regarding materials, durability, and overall “fit and finish.” Recently, heightened expectations of how a transaction card “feels” in a customer's hand, including aspects of tactile response and substance (i.e., weight) have garnered the attention of card manufacturers. One particular goal of card manufacturers is to deliver cards that have a “soft touch” feel. A “soft touch” feel may be described as a haptic sensation that occurs when a person touches something that, for example, feels soft, smooth, plush, and/or satiny.
Because PVC and PC transaction cards do not naturally provide a soft touch feeling, attempts to create a soft touch feel on PVC and PC transaction cards have been made using special coatings or coating additives. For example, soft touch coatings comprising polyurethane have been developed, which can be sprayed over a transaction card to deliver a soft touch feeling. Polyurethane additives have also been developed, which can be added to paints and protective coatings to provide a soft touch feel.
However, known specialized soft touch coatings and coatings modified with soft touch additives do not meet manufacturers' standards of durability for use with transaction cards. That is, such coatings can wear out or the soft touch feel can be lost well in advance of the service life of the transaction card. The application of soft touch coatings also introduces additional steps in the manufacturing process, which can decrease throughput and increase manufacturing costs. Further, the application of additional layers to a transaction card can increase the overall thickness of the card and affect card performance over the life of the card.
The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems associated with conventional transaction cards.